Car-coupling.



No. 638,505. Patented D ec. 5, |899.

M B GIBEHSN GAR CUPLING. (App1 'e n al d Jun 21 1399) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

@No Model.)

wth/wwe@ 2% S31/gamba @13 @Hom/w13 A No. 638,505. Patented Dec. 5, |899.M. B. GIBERSON.

GAR COUPLING.

(Application filed June 21, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

n WLM/awww 9% MMC/1m.

1yr-rn 'raras MASON B. GIBERSON, OF` MUNOIE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO BURT H. IVI-IITELEY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 638,505, dated December5, 1899.

Application filed June 21,1899.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MASON B. GIBnRsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Muncie, in the county of Delaware and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers, of whichthe following is a specificatiomreference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-couplers.

The general object of this invention is, first and broadly, to provide alocking-bar with means for preventing it from jarring out of lockingposition in its relation to the knuckle, and, second and specifically,to provide a locking-detent for such locking-block, such locking-blockhavingalifting-pin loosely connected therewith, so that an initialmovement of such pin will disengage such detent from such block, wherebythe further movement of such pin will act to lift the locking-block outof locking position.

The second object of my invention is to provide for returning thelocking-block to locking position in those cases in which the purpose tocut or couple two cars is suddenly changed to a purpose not to cut oruncouple them; and this feature of my invention has to do with returningthe locking-block to locking position before the knuckle has been swungout of locking position, although the locking-block has been momentarilyelevated to unlocking position, and this' object is effected by soarranging the lifting-pin, locking-block, and the guide-pin for thelatter that by the lateral thrust of the elevated liftingpin it willshift the foot of the locking-block from its supporting-shoulder in thehead and allow it to drop down into locking position.

This invention also relates to details of construction and arrangementhereinafter appearing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, on1 which like reference-letters indicatecorresponding parts, Figure 1 is a sectional view of my improved coupleron the line o@ :I: of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig.3, a crosssectional view on the line y y of Fig. l and showing thelocking-block held in locking position byalocking-dog; Fig. 4, a similarview Serial Nol 721,290. (No model.)

to Fig. 3, showing the locking-dog out of locking engagement with thelocking-block and in a position to permit such block to be elevated;Fig. 5, a similar view to Fig. 3, but lshowing the locking-block out ofengagement with the swinging knuckle; Fig. 6, a similar view to Fig. 3,showing the manner in which the locking-block is held out of lockingcontact with the swinging knuckle; and Fig. 7, a detail perspective viewof the lifting-pin, locking-block, and locking-dog and also showingtheir relative relation to each other.

The letter A represents a car-coupler drawbar having a head B. To thishead is pivotally connected a swinging knuckle O by means of a pin Dorin any other suitable manner. This-knuckle has a shank E normallyprojecting within the head and adapted to be locked therein, so that theforward end F of said swinging knuckle may normally stand partiallyacross the forward end of the coupler. Such forward end of the knuckleis provided with a hole or opening Gr for the reception of a pin for usein connection with an ordinary link-and-pin coupling, it beingunderstood that such forward end is bifurcated, as clearly illustratedin Fig. 2, the space for the reception of such link being indicated atH, (see Fig. 2;) but to this special construction I lay no claim, as myinvention has reference, among other things, to means for holding thislocking-block down in locking position, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

The letter I represents a lockingblock sloping or beveled atfits lowerend, as seen at ct, to permit its more ready withdrawal from between theknuckle E and guide W and also having an elongated opening or slot, asshown at J, within which projects a stud K, extending from a lifting-pinL, such lifting-pin extending above the upper wall of the head B throughthe hole M, the hole being considerably larger than the pin. The outerend of this pin is provided with a hole O for the attachment ofoperating devices. A shoulder P, formed on the pin, limits its downwardmovement. From this description it will be seen that as the pin israised the stud K will move from the lower end of the slot J to itsupper end in the locking-block, and when still further raised thelocking-block itself will be llO moved out of engagement with the innerarm Eot` the swinging knuckle, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

I will now refer to the preferred form of means for holding thelocking-block normally in its locking position, so as to preven tit frombeing raised when it is unduly jarred, as when traveling over roughroads. From Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, it will be seen that upon apin Q,extending within a hole or opening R in the head B, (see dotted lines inFig. 2 particularly,) is mounted a locking-pawl F, which extends overthe stud K and down upon the lockingblock I and abuts against a stop I.Thislocking-pawlprevents the locking-block from being elevated orwithdrawn from its locking position until after the locking pawl hasmoved out of locking engagement therewith, which is accomplished byraising the pawl K through the littingpin L until the stud reaches theupper end of the slot J, by which time the locking-pawl is moved out oflocking contact with the locking-block to permit such locking-block tobe elevated. Thus it will be seen that my invention, broadly, hasreference tomeans to hold the locking-block in locking position, andspecificallyit has reference to a locking-pawl, which pawl may be movedout of engagement with said bloc-k before the block is elevated by thelifting-pin, such lifting-pin carrying a stud projecting within anelongated opening orslotin the locking-block to permit this to beaccomplished.

l will now refer to the manner in which the locking-block is normallyheld out of engagement with the swinging knuckle. Referring again to thepin Q, it will be observed that it passes through the slot T in thelockingblock. While this slot permits the lockingblock to be elevated,as above described, it also permits the block to pivot about said pin,and thereby performa a very useful function, as will shortly appear. Letus suppose that the lifting-pin has been elevated sufliciently torelease the locking-block from engagement with the swinging knuckle. Inthis position the block will swing into engagement with the shoulder Uof the interior of the housing B, where it will be held out of lockingposition until the brakeman cants the lifting-pin to the positionillustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, which will cause thelocking-block to pivot about the stationary pin G and out of engagementwith the shoulder U, so that it can again quickly drop into lockingposition. The locking-block swings into engagement with the shoulder Uby reason of the prepo'nderance of weight of the locking-block B beingat one side of its pivotal connection of the lifting-pin-that is, on theside away from the shoulder U. From Fig. 1 particularly it Willlbe seenthat a guideway W is formed in the inner wall of the housing in front ofthe shoulder U. This is for the purpose of guiding the' locking-blockand holding it more irmly in position. Thus with my invention, while Ihave provided for locking the lockingblock so that it cannot beaccidentally raised from engagement with the swinging knuckle, due toshocks and jars, ttc., and also for holding the locking-block out oflocking engagement with said swinging knuckle, it will be understoodthat such locking-block may be instantly thrown to locking positionwhile the swinging knuckle is in coupling position, such position beingillustrated in the drawings. This is of particular advantage, especiallywhen a signal has been given to cut the cars for switching, the., andthe signal is suddenly given not to cut them. Consequently without thenecessity of separating the cars and then bringing them together againthe locking-bar may be quickly thrown to locking position by thebrakeman simply eanting the lifting-pin, and thereby pivoting saidlocking-block about the fixed pin out of engagement with the shoulder U,thereby again coupling the cars, which saves a great amount of time andannoyance.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car-coupler, the combination with 4a draw-bar, having a head atone end, of a knuckle swingingly mounted thereon, a locking-blockadapted to engage with said knuckle to lock it in position, said blockhaving an elongated or slotted opening therein, a lifting-pin adapted toengage with said lockingblock and move independently thereof the lengthof said slot and then to lift said block, and a locking device adaptedto be operated out of locking contact with said lockingblock during saidinitial movement of said lifting-pin, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with a draw-bar having a headformed thereon at one end, of a lockingknuckle swingingly mountedthereon, a locking-block adapted to hold said knuckle in lockingposition, said locking-block having an elongated opening or slottherein, a lifting-pin, a stud or projection extending from said pin andadapted to project within said slot, a locking-dog pivotally mounted insaid head and extending over said stud and adapted to lock saidlocking-block in locking position, and also adapted to be thrown out oflocking position by the movement of said stud within said elongatedopening, said lifting-pin projecting through a hole or opening in saidhead, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with a draw-bar having a head atone end, of a locking-knuckle swingingly mounted thereon,- alocking-block adapted to engage with said knuckle to hold it in lockingposition, said block having an elongated opening or slot therein, alifting-pin projecting through a hole or opening in said head, a studcarried by theinner end of said lifting-pin and adapted to projectwithin said elongated opening, a pin projecting through the slot in saidlocking-block and xed in said head, a locking- IIO dog pivoted upon saidpin and extending over said stud into engagement with said lockinglolockto lock said block in locking position, and a shoulder formed in saidhead with which said locking-block engages when in its unlockedposition.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with i a draw-bar having a head atone end, of a locking-knuckle swingingly mounted thereon, alocking-block adapted to engage with said knuckle to hold it in lockingposition, a stop projecting from said locking-block, a lockingpawlpivotally mounted in said head and adapted to engage with saidlocking-block and abut against said stop, a liftingpin extending upwardthrough said head, a stud or projection extending from one side of saidlifting-pin into an elongated opening` in said head and beneath saidlocking-pawl, all substantially as shown and described.4

5. In a car-coupler, the combination with adraW-loar having a headformed at one end thereof, of a lookingknuckle swingingly mountedthereon, a locking-bar withinr said head adapted to hold said knuckle inlocking position, a stop extending from said block, said block having anelongated opening and a slot therein, a fixed projection through saidslot to guide said locking-bar as it is moved into and out of lockingposition, and also acting as a pivot for said locking-block, alifting-pin carrying a stud adaptedI to project within said elongatedopening in the lockingblock, a pivoted locking-pawl mounted on vsaidiixed pin and extending over said stud and engaging with saidlocking-block and abutting against said projection, said liftingpinbeing adapted to throw the locking-dog out of locking engagement withthe lockingblock and swing said block, and a shoulder formed within thewalls of said head with which said locking-block engages when it isswung by the lifting-pin, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination with a draw-bar having a headformed at one end thereof, of a locking-blockhavingaslot therein, afixed pin carried by said head and projecting through said slot, ashoulder in said head upon which said block rests when in unlockingposition, and a lifting-pin pivotally connected with said locking-blockand adapted to be canted to pivot said block about said ixed pin and outof engagement with said Shoulder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MASON I3. GIBERSON.

